Reflecting on his seven seasons in San Francisco, Pence writes it gives him goosebumps

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San Francisco Giants’ Hunter Pence gets high fives in the dugout after scoring in a 4-run, seventh inning rally against the Minnesota Twins, Sunday, June 11, 2017, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

There’s no crying in baseball? Yeah, and Yogi Berra is a cartoon character.

You’re darn tootin’ there’s crying in baseball. Exhibit A: Hunter Pence’s glorious farewell to the Giants, their fans and the greater Bay Area. Published Thursday on the The Players Tribune, it is titled “Gr8ful.”

Before we begin, you need to grab a fistful of tissues, or a monogrammed handkerchief — heck, an old rally towel will do.

He begins: “I definitely wish some of the great times in our lives could go on forever and somehow, I believe they do. When I sit here and think about my time in San Francisco, it gives me goosebumps.”

I’m not sniffling. You’re sniffling.

Pence was in his sixth major league season when he was traded to the Giants on July 31, 2012. The Giants had a wafer-thin one-game lead in the division that day. They boosted the lead to 11 games and won by eight over the Dodgers. They were on the brink of elimination in the divisional round when the legend of Hunter Pence took wing.

With Pence sermonizing, clutch efforts all day long and a dash of kismet, the Giants got to within one win of their second World Series appearance in three years. They got there on one of Pence’s favorite moments with the team.

“I’m thankful we can always share that special feeling when Travis Ishikawa hit a walk-off homer to send us to the World Series,” he wrote. “I’ve never had a more chaotic, blissful, euphoric, ecstatic moment on a baseball field. The world through my eyes was SHAKING (am I the only one who believes Hunter Pence goes through life with the caps lock on?) and I can honestly say we were backed by fans believing in us even more than usual.”

The Giants won the World Series that year, and won another two years later. But Pence seems most appreciative for the relationships he developed in his seven seasons in San Francisco. You may recall the time his scooter was stolen, “something that tends to happen when you leave it unlocked while you’re eating dinner,” he wrote. Social media was soon on the job. Eateries across the city offered free food to anyone locating his scooter. Three days later, it was back in his possession.

“I felt so smothered in support, love, and care that I couldn’t help but smile and hope to repay the favor in small way,” Pence wrote. “This is just one of the countless behind-the-scenes stories of fan interactions I had throughout my time as a Giant.”

Those interactions began shortly after Pence hit town. He put his name in at restaurants. When he was called, patrons began applauding and chanting, “Let’s go GI-ants!”

“I took a few pictures with people, waved, and said, ‘Thank you so much. It’s an absolute pleasure to be here.’ I’ll never forget the way that made me feel and how special it was to be a part of.”

Pence wrote that he still recalls the sun setting during Game 6 of the NLCS in 2012, “a mix of purple, blue, orange, red and yellow.”

And taking a mental note of “being in complete AWE.”

Pence, who has signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, signed off:

“I wish there never had to be a ‘so long,’ but I’m grateful for all the time we had. I love you all and always will.”